Kimi no Egao wa…
by Kairi21
Summary: Summary: Anna Kyouyama ponders on the most perplexing of matters… Yoh’s smile. Fluff and other stuff happens....Rated T to be safe.


A/N: Forgive me if I'm being redundant with the pairing. I just can't seem to get them out of my system. There is nothing I can do but write more.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the Shaman King anime series. They belong to someone who isn't me… and that's depressing enough. Hmm... Oh yeah! I don't own any of J.K. Rowling's stories either. That said, on with the fic!

Summary: Anna Kyouyama ponders on the most perplexing of matters… Yoh's smile.

Kimi no Egao wa…

By: Kairi21

It was downright perplexing. How could such a simple gesture cause such great confusion to her? A mere function of a group of muscles in the human body triggered by a signal sent to the brain by neurons. A simple movement of the lips… his smile.

His ever present smile was the cause of her confusion. Why was it always there? Even if he had to get up to cook FOR her. Even if she FORCED him to run laps around the city at an ungodly early hour under the harshest conditions. Even if she made him do fifty-no, a hundred push ups for getting up a fraction of a minute later than usual. Why?

"Umm… Anna?"

"…"

Why won't he stop smiling? Why won't he frown when he was speaking to her? Why won't he look at her with fear in his eyes like every one else did? Were his physiological functions messed up? Could his responses to stimuli be flawed? Or was it a mere reflex? A defense mechanism designed specifically for the purpose of catching the formidable "Ice Queen" off guard.

"Hey Anna?" A male voice jarred the Itako back to reality.

"What is it you want?" The blonde quickly regained her composure and spoke in her usual monotone voice.

It was like that with every conversation they had. He was never angry at her. He was always submissive. But most significantly, and puzzling, he always smiled.

"Nande mo nai, just checking…" He continued, the smile never leaving his lips.

"…checking?"

"I thought you didn't like the taste of the dinner I cooked for us." Yoh sheepishly answered while rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh…"

"Dinner tasted…fine." The blonde finished the conversation.

The truth was she was too caught up in her thoughts to heed how dinner tasted. The girl neatly aligned her chopsticks on top of her rice bowl and got up to bring her dishes to the sink. The Shaman sat and silently watched her disappear into the kitchen.

Then she went upstairs and got ready for bed. Yoh had to stay downstairs to wash the dishes. Even as she bade him goodnight, his smile was there, promptly blinding her with his ten thousand volt smile.

That smile that made her feel funny in a good way. That threatened to tear down the emotional wall she built, piece-by-piece, over the years of her training as an Itako. The barrier that stood between a girl and the world around her. That smile. The smile that melted the ice that froze a young heart. It was the smile that sent tingles all over her body. It was a drug, it should have been considered illegal. His smile was addictive and the Itako had to struggle to keep herself from grinning back.

The blonde continued to muse over these things in the privacy of her room. The more she thought about it, the more things she realized about his smile.

"It's different…" She began speaking to herself to battle the gloomy silence.

His smile, it was different when he smiled at her and when he smiled at his friends. At least it felt different. She was happier when the smile was for her and no one else.

Whenever he smiled at her, she noticed every little detail about his smile. How his lips were fixed in a movement that only seemed so natural for him. How his mouth was held in the same position but always seemed relaxed. Whenever he smiled for her, the light in his eyes shone more. Whenever he smiled for her, the whole world faded away, and there was only him and her.

And then, she got an idea. Yes, that was a sure way to see why he smiled. The Itako got up to walk out of her room without heeding the lateness of the hour. She knew he'd still be awake. He wouldn't go to sleep right after washing the dishes. No, he'd stand out her door for a few minutes before wimping out and settling for a whispered "Oyasumi Anna-chan" instead. She always heard him anyway. She couldn't go to sleep without hearing him. He wouldn't sleep yet…

…not without whispering those words outside her room. She loved it when he called her his "Anna-chan", of course, she never showed it. That would have detrimental effects on the mask she wore. The mask she was about to take off for just one day.

She slid her room's door to come face to face with an unsuspecting Yoh.

/I know you too well…/ She smirked inwardly.

"A-Anna…" Yoh, obviously, didn't expect her to get up this late at night.

"…"

"Eh… Oyasumi?" Yoh continued with a smile.

/Again… I hope you realize that smile is the bane of my existence…/ The Itako irritably thought.

"Aa." She replied with a monotone voice.

Before he could turn tail and run, the Itako said something to make him turn back, an implied command that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Yoh."

"H-hai?"

"Why don't you invite your friends over tomorrow?"

Yoh dumbly blinked backed at her. Did he hear right? Anna wanted him to invite his friends over… didn't she see them as nothing but a bunch of freeloaders?

"Anoo…"

"I miss having the noise around." The blonde supplied an answer to the unvoiced question.

It was the perfect excuse to put her plan into action for it was the summer holidays. The Shaman Tournament was far from over and everyone was busy training. Pirika and HoroHoro had found an apartment to rent. Ren and Jun were booked in a hotel uptown. Ryu found his "best place" to be none other than being on the road and stopped by the Onsen less often.

Even the little human, Manta, was busy. He enrolled for some advanced classes over the summer holidays to lighten his load next year (He was sure he couldn't afford to miss out on any classes but wanted to tag along with the gang.)

Tamao went back to live in the Asakura household with Yoh's grandparents. Faust and Eliza continued to stay at the Onsen and opened up a mini clinic. Lyserg, accompanied Ryu on his travels and the rumors were those two were involved in a deeper "relationship" with each other.

They were slowly drifting apart from each other and life at the Onsen got quiet. Quiet to the point of being dull.

Yoh didn't know what to doubt more. The fact that the Itako actually told him to invite his friends over or the fact that she was actually capable of missing the "noise" his –no their friends made.

"Ah. Sure. I'll tell Amidamaru to tell the other spirit partners the news."

Sure enough, the news got out to the gang and the Onsen was filled with "unnecessary noise" the very next day. Manta was the first to arrive followed by Pirika and her brother. Tamao dropped by bringing with her some stuff to feed to the hungry pack of err… the gang.

It was just like the old times. Ren and his sister arrived and Ryu and Lyserg also managed to attend the impromptu gathering. Much to everyone's surprise, Manta sat in the living room sharing a hearty conversation with none other than the former necromancer, Faust the VIII. Eliza busied herself by passing around some munchies to keep HoroHoro from complaining about his aching stomach.

Of course, having Ren and HoroHoro in one house was sure to cause a fireworks display, what more if both of them were put together in the same room? Tamao escaped into the kitchen area once the decibels began to rise and was faced with something not even the gang was ready to see.

"A-Anna-san!"

Upon hearing her name being called, the blonde turned around from the meal she was cooking and answered.

"Hai, Tamao-chan?"

The pink-haired girl almost fainted not just because Anna was wearing a frilly pink apron but also because the Itako was actually smiling and speaking in a soft tone.

The blonde's eyes traveled down to the grocery bags Tamao had brought with her.

"Oh you brought more food! That's lovely, why don't you go back into the living room dear? I'll handle this. The meal will be ready soon after all."

Anna cheerfully took the bags from Tamao and ushered her back out into the living room where Ren and HoroHoro continued to hold war against each other.

Yoh had stepped in between the two to break the fight up and irritate the Tao more with his silly grin.

"Aah. Still wearing the same tacky battle outfit I see. Eh, Asakura!"

HoroHoro interjected, seizing the chance to insult Ren.

"Yeah? Well here's the difference Ren: Anna makes him wear those, you CHOOSE what you wear!"

"WHAT'S THAT BAKA AINU!"

"WHAT'S THE MATTER CHINESE PUNK? SURELY YOU DON'T THINK SHOWING YOUR BARE MIDRIFF TURNS ME ON!"

Everyone's attention shifted to the two and the room grew silent. The Tao turned a deep shade of red and the Ainu looked like lightning just struck him.

"I knew it."

The silence was broken by a familiar voice. There was something different about it though, it was much sweeter and softer.

"I suspected something going on between you two…" Anna _smiled_ at everyone.

The room got even more silent and everyone was now focused on Anna. It was unbelievable. The Itako had her hair tied up in a neat bun behind her head; she was wearing a **_PINK and FRILLY_** apron and she was **_SMILING._** Not the usual evil grin or evil smirk, but a warm smile.

"Anoo…nande? Is there something on my face?" The girl asked, still in her cheery disposition.

"Umm…Are you okay Anna-san?" Manta dared to venture and ask.

"Are you sick!" More curious voices joined in.

"Are you on drugs!"

"Gracious no!" The blonde, still smiling, answered patiently. She was inwardly struggling to keep the mask off a while longer but holding out well. She could have passed as the happiest girl alive… if not for the slight twitching of her lips.

"Daijobu desu. Thanks for worrying…"

The whole group stared in dead silence, appalled by the Itako's sudden change in personality. HoroHoro and Ren stopped arguing, Ryo stopped combing his hair and even Lyserg dropped the copy of 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' that he was reading.

A few meters away from the Onzen, a long haired brunette fell out of the tree he was sitting in. Yes, Hao was still alive and kept tabs on his Otouto and company.

"Ehehe… That Itako is up to something…" the Shaman immediately regained his composure and grinned evilly.

The party at the Onzen went amazingly well without Anna's constant aggressiveness. HoroHoro and Ren stopped arguing with each other and disappeared into the men's room only to return looking like a storm had hit them. Everyone seemed too unsettled with the Itako's questionable behavior that they actually behaved well.

Time flew by and the group soon had to separate form each other again. Jun and Pirika returned to their living quarters alone because Ren and HoroHoro had some "business" to finish. The two Shamans were later seen walking away from the Onzen…hand-in-hand. Manta had to leave an hour early, he was needed at home. Ryu and Lyserg needed to be on the road before sundown to avoid traffic. Tamao left after helping Anna with the dishes and soon the place was silent once more.

Once again the Itako confronted Yoh with a frown. She went back to her normal way of behaving and do you know what he did? He smiled; a grin that split across his face in the exact same way he did during the gathering.

"THAT'S IT!" The Itako half shouted and for once let anger slip through her cold exterior.

"I GIVE UP!"

"Eh? A-Anna-chan, daijobu ka? Yoh asked, concern evident in those expressive dark eyes.

/And you get the nerve to call me Anna-chan…/ She thought.

"No, I'm most definitely not! Tell me, just tell me… Asakura Yoh, why DO you smile!" She could bear it no longer. She had to ask, she just couldn't take it anymore. The curiosity was killing her.

The confusion and worry that was etched into the boy's face vanished and was replaced by that same smile that made the Itako want to melt right then and there. Then, he laughed as if he just realized something that was funny.

"Oh. Is that what all this was all about?" He continued to grin like an idiot.

"Hai. Tell me… NOW." She pressed on.

"Why DO you always…always smile? Whether I yell at you or smile back, it makes no difference…"

Then Yoh did something he never did before or never would have done if he valued his existence. He did something that proved just how courageous he was. Either that or he just had a death wish. He closed the gap between him and the blonde, wrapped his arms around her slender frame and pulled her closer to him. Anna's eyes grew wide in shock but Yoh didn't give her the time to think as he tilted her head upward and leaned down to capture her lips into his own.

The intimacy of the moment was punctured by a loud sound of palm hitting flesh. She gave him the legendary left hand slap. The baka was asking for it.

Yoh stepped back and rubbed his sore cheek. In spite of the injury, the smile never left his lips as he continued the conversation like nothing out of the ordinary happened.

"You." He said.

"Nani?" The blonde thought he had finally lost it.

"It's you Anna-chan, I smile… because you are here with me…"

"Baka…"

The blonde turned away and began walking towards the general direction of her room. Unfortunately, she just couldn't hold back anymore. It was almost as if someone had copied Yoh's smile and pasted it unto the blonde's face…

That was their first kiss. Although it wasn't half as she would have imagined it (she always thought it would be her to initiate it…) she was undeniably happy. Happy because she finally knew why he smiled, and why it was so hard to keep herself from smiling back from then on.

-OWARI-


End file.
